The GDPR is Nearly Here: Are you ready?

The GDPR is Nearly Here: Are you ready?

If your business has customers who live in the European Union, you have an important deadline approaching.

  • By Jay Hamilton
  • May 21, 2018

If your business has customers who live in the European Union, you have an important deadline approaching. On May 25, 2018, you need to be in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Passed by the EU Parliament in 2016, GDPR is designed to provide data privacy rights to EU citizens and protect them from data breaches. This legislation spells out numerous requirements that companies must meet, such as:

Businesses must get customers’ consent to collect, process, and store their personal data. When companies ask for permission, they must use easy-to-understand terms rather than legal jargon. Plus, it must be easy for customers to withdraw their consent.

Companies can only collect, process, and store the personal data needed to complete a given task and not any extra information. Further, the data collected and stored for one task cannot be repurposed without further consent from customers.

Businesses must notify customers within 72 hours of first becoming aware of a breach that involves their personal data.

Companies need to include data protection measures when they are initially designing their systems rather than adding the measures later on.

All companies that collect, process, or store the personal data of EU citizens are required to comply with GDPR’s requirements, no matter where the organizations are located. For instance, US and Canadian businesses that have customers who live in the European Union must adhere to the regulation.

The penalties for noncompliance are high. The maximum fine, which is reserved for the most serious violations, is €20 million (around $24 million USD) or 4% of a company’s annual global turnover (whichever is greater). The fine structure is tiered, so smaller fines will be levied for less serious infractions.

There are resources available to help businesses understand the GDPR requirements. The official website, EUGDPR.org, has an extensive list of articles, videos, and other types of resources. Its sister site, EUGDPR.com, provides GDPR updates and news.

Some IT vendors also offer GDPR resources, many of which are free. Here are a few examples:

  • Microsoft provides an e-book, an online readiness assessment, webcasts, and whitepapers.
  • Trend Micro has an infographic, checklist, whitepaper, and webinar.
  • IBM furnishes an e-book, webinars, and whitepapers.
  • IT Governance offers a video, infographic, paper, and templates.

About the Author

Jay Hamilton is the Owner, President and CEO of Presage Solutions, Inc.

Featured

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events

  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.